China has more to offer than US, says Philippine diplomat

Bloomberg

The US is projecting “strategic confusion” in the South China Sea, the Philippines’ top diplomat said, prompting the Southeast Asian nation to deepen its ties with China.
President Rodrigo Duterte prefers China’s offer of loans and investments in the absence of a clearer stance from the US in the disputed sea amid growing rivalry
between the two nations, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said.
“China’s offer of a strategic partnership is a bit more attractive than the current offer of the US of strategic confusion,” Locsin said.
Locsin recalled how former President Barack Obama, in his visit to Manila in 2014, didn’t give a clear assurance that the US would defend the Philippines against China in case of a conflict in the South China Sea. Since then, President Donald Trump’s administration has been at pains to stress “we have your back”.
Still, the Philippines continues to be a US military ally and will come to its side if conflict erupts, Locsin said, adding he wants to retain an almost seven-decade-old defense treaty with the US.
“It has always been clear, that in a war, we are allies of the United States. There’s no question about that.”
Tensions have flared between the US and China in the resource-rich South China Sea amid an ongoing trade war.
The US sent two warships near disputed islands
earlier this month — a move that drew opposition from China.
Locsin pushed for boosting the Philippines’ defence capabilities and more patrols by claimants in the disputed waters. “If there’s an incident that happens in any of those features, it won’t be one nation’s word against another. You’ll have witnesses all around. That’s what I’m looking forward to; when we saturate our oceans with our coastal presence.”